Overhead door and operating means therefor



Nov. 21, 1967 R. CASTONG UAY OVERHEAD DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR5 Sheets-Sheet .1

F'IG.1

INVENTOR.

7' TO/PNE VS Nov. 21, 1967 R. cASTONG UAY 3,353,299

I OVERHEAD DOOR-AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 11, 1965 4 a 5Sheets-Sheet 2 CLOSED POSITION INVENTOR. ROGER CASTONGUAY NOV. 21, 1967R CASTONGUAY I 3,353,299

OVERHEAD DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 11, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet :3

OPENED POSITION INVENTOR. l ROGER CASTONGUAY I I /6 /6 BY Z 7 F'|G.6 dZ4222 AT ORNEVS United States Patent Ofifice 3,353,299 Patented Nov. 21,1967 3,353,299 OVERHEAD DOOR AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR RogerCastouguay, 3905 Beaconsfield, Detroit, Mich. 48224 Filed Aug. 11,1965', Ser. No. 478,812 8 Claims. (Cl. 49-104) ABSTRACT OF THEDISELGSURE A door operating device is disclosed which is adapted to beassociated with one or more doors mounted in a fixed support structuresuch as a garage, with each door mounted for swinging movement from agenerally vertical closed position to a generally horizontal openposition. The door operating device includes a single power operatedtrolley movable on a track provided therefor. Each door is provided withpulley means. The door operating device further includes opening andclosing cables for each door, with each cable having one end connectedto the movable trolley and the other end connected to the fixed supportstructure, with intermediate portions of each of the cables beingengageable with the pulley means provided on the corresponding door.

This invention relates to a door operating system and relates moreparticularly to a cable-operated system for one or more overhead typedoors. The invention is characterized by the manner in which one or moredoors are operated by opening and closing cables which are alloperatively connected to a single power-operated trolley movable, as anexample, on a track provided therefor.

The present invention has certain advantages over prior art dooroperator mechanisms including the important advantage that each dooropens and closes quickly and smoothly under the operation and control ofthe opening and closing cables. The operating mechanism including theopening and closing cables is compact, easy to install and can beadvantageously mounted in any convenient location in a building such asnear a ceiling beam or the top edge of the door or even in a placeremote from the door. The closing cable is effective when operated bythe power operated trolley to forcibly close the door and lock the doorin a vertically closed position Without the utilization of anycounterweights or similar devices which are presently utilized in theart.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable operatedsystem for opening and closing one door or a plurality of doorssimultaneously.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cable operatedsystem for an overhead door comprising opening and closing cables whichare all operatively connected to a single power-operated trolley whichpulls on the cables to open and close the door.

Still another object of the present invention is to proivide an overheaddoor for a building which is properly balanced, easy to open and closeand which requires a smaller amount of mechanical energy to operate thedoor than has been heretofore utilized.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door structurefor a garage or other building having a doorway, a door mounted in thedoorway for swinging movement from a generally vertical closed positionto a generally horizontal open position, means for opening and closingthe door comprising an opening cable and a closing cable, each cablebeing operatively connected to the door for controlling the swingingmovement thereof, and drive means connected to the cables for operatingsame to effect swinging movement of the door.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a doorstructure of the aforementioned type wherein power-operated drive meansis provided and efiective to pull on the opening cable to open the doorand to pull on the closing cable to close the door. With such aconstruction the opening cable is taut and the closing cable is slackduring the opening movement of the door and the closing cable is tautand the opening cable is slack during the closing movement of the door.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a door structurecomprising a plurality of doorways and a like plurality of doors mountedin the doorways for swinging movement from a generally vertical closedposition to a generally horizontal open position, each door havingoperatively connected thereto opening and closing cables, and a singlepower-operated trolley operatively connected to the opening and closingcables, said trolley when driven in one direction being effective topull on the opening cables to simultaneously open the doors andeffective when driven in the opposite direction to pull on the closingcables to simultaneously close the doors.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dooroperating structure of the aforementioned type wherein the closingcables are effective to close the doors and to hold the doors in alocked position until the power-operated trolley is energized.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cable operatedsystem for an overhead door which does not require any counterweights orsimilar devices for closing the door.

It is thus another object of this invention to provide a simplified lowcost structure of the aforementioned type having certain advantagescontributing to efiiciency, reliability and long life as well as ease ofmaintenance.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of swinging doors and thecable operating system therefor.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the doors in aclosed position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the doors in anopen position;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the trolley and track assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the track and trolley; and FIGURE 6 isa front elevation of a garage having a pair of pivotally mounted doors.

In the present invention the door operating system is designed for oneor more doors of a garage although it is to be understood that the dooroperating system may also be used with doors of other buildings. Asillustrated in FIGURE 6, the garage is designated by the numeral 10 andcomprises a pair of door openings 12 and 14 in the front wall thereof.Mounted within the door openings 12 and 14 are a plurality of pivotallymounted vertically swinging doors 16 and 18 respectively. The presentinvention is designed to operate one door or both doors 16 and 18simultaneously although it should be understood that the cable operatingmechanism of the present invention could be provided for each doorindependently of the other.

Each door 16 and 18 is provided at thetop edge thereof with a pair ofpivots or pivot arms 20 and 22 which are carried by the frame, wall orsupport structure 23 of the garage 10. While pivoted overhead swingingdoors are shown it should be understood that the present invention canbe utilized with other types of doors such as overhead doors whichutilize tracks, etc,

Mounted within the interior of the garage adjacent the ceiling thereofis an elongated track 24 of T-shaped cross section including ahorizontal flange 26 and a vertical flange 28. The track 24 extendssubstantially perpendicula-r to the doors 16 and 18 when closed.Appropriately mounted on the track 24 is a power-driven trolley 26.Means are provided for moving the trolley 26 along the track 14 inopposite directions toward and away from the doors 16 and 18, said meansincluding an endless drive chain 28 to which the trolley 26 isconnected. The drive chain 28 is driven by the power-operated driveassembly 30 as will be subsequently described.

A bracket 32 is fixedly mounted on the top edge of each door 16 and 18and includes a horizontal flange 34 attached to the door and a verticalflange 36. Mounted on the vertical flange 36 of each bracket 32 are sixsheaves or pulleys designated by the numerals 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48.The sheaves are arranged in a pair of parallel rows, with the first rowincluding sheaves 38, 42 and 44 and the second row including sheaves 40,46 and 48. Sheave 40 is spaced laterally from and approximately midwaybetween sheaves 38 and 42. Sheave 44 is spaced laterally from andapproximately midway between sheaves 46 and 48. While all the sheavesare illustrated as being of the same size and diameter it is recommendedfor successful operation that at least the driving sheaves or pulleys 40and 44 be of the same size and diameter.

Carried by the frame or support structure 23 of the garage 10 arevertically arranged brackets 52 and 54 each of which is provided on thelower end thereof with a sheave 56. The upper end of the brackets 52 and54 are each provided with a sheave 58. A bracket 60 is mounted aboveeach of the doors 16 and 18 and is connected to the support structure 23in proximity to the bracket 32. Each bracket 60 is provided with asheave 62. The support structure 23 is further provided with a bracket57 having a sheave 59 mounted thereon and is also provided with abracket 61 having sheaves 63 and 65 provide-d thereon.

Door 16 is provided with an opening cable 66 and a closing cable 68.Door 18 is provided with'an opening cable 70 and a closing cable 72.Opening cable 66 for door 16 is fixedly connected and anchored to thevertcial bracket 52 as indicated by the numeral 74. Cable 66 extendsfrom the fixed point or anchor 74 around sheaves 48, 44, 46, 56 and 58in the order mentioned and has the leading end thereof connected to thepower driven trolley 26. The leading end of the cable 66 is providedwith a turnbuckle 76 for adjusting the cable tension.

The closing cable 68 for door 16 is anchored at 80 to the supportstructure 23 and extends therefrom between sheaves 38 and 42 and thenaround sheaves 40, 62 and 65 in the order mentioned from where theleading end of the cable is attached to the power driven trolley 26. Aturnbuckle 76 is provided near the leading end of the cable 68 foradjusting the cable tension.

The opening cable 70 for door 18 is secured and anchored to the lowerend of the bracket 54 as indicated by the numeral 82. The cable 70 thenextends around pulleys or sheaves 48, 44, 46, 56 and 58 in the ordermentioned and then transversely across the interior of the garage 10where the leading end of cable 70 extends around pulley or sheave 59 andthen through a turnbuckle 76 and fiinally is connected to the powerdriven trolley 26. The closing cable 72 for the door 18 is secured tothe support structure as indicated by the numeral 85 and extendstherefrom between pulleys 38 and 42 and then around pulleys 40, 62, and86 and then transversely across the interior of the garage where theleading end of the closing cable 72 extends around the pulley 63 fromwhere it is fixedly connected to the power driven trolley .26. Aturnbuckle 76 is also provided on the leading end of the closing cable72 so as to permit the tension of the cable to be adjusted as isconventional in the art. The pulley or sheave 86 is appropriatelyconnected to the support structure by means not shown.

The track 24, trolley 26 and the power-operated drive assembly 30 aremanufactured and sold by the Heath Company, of Benton Harbor, Mich., asubsidiary of Daystrom Incorporated as part of its garage door operatormechanism Model GDA-20-3. The specific details of the track 24, drivechain 28, trolley 26 and the power-operated drive assembly 30 areillustrated and described in the catalog entitled Heathkit AssemblyManual copyrighted 1962 by the Heath Company.

More specifically, the power-operated drive assembly 30 includes a motor90 and a receiver 92 (Heath Company Model GDA20-2) useable inconjunction with a Heath Company transmitter (Model GDA-20-1) not shown.The transmitter and receiver per se form no part of the presentinvention and provide a convenient means of quickly opening and closingthe garage doors 16 and 18 from the driveway without requiring a personto leave the automobile.

The motor 90 includes a shaft 94 provided on the outer end thereof witha pulley 96. The receiver 92 is provided with a rotatably mountedthreaded element 98 which extends through the housing of the receiver92. The upper end of the element 98 is provided with a sprocket 100while the lower end is provided with a relatively large pulley 102 whichis connected to the motor driven pulley 96 by means of a drive belt 104.The receiver 92 further includes various transformers, relays, switchesand limit switches not illustrated and which are more adequately shownand described in the aforementioned catalog.

The sprocket 100 is located at the far end of the track 24. Mounted atthe near end of the track 24 is a sprocket 106. The link chain 28extends around sprockets 100 and 106 with the opposing ends operativelyconnected to the trolley 26 as best illustrated in FIGURE 5. Thetransmitter, not shown, is designed to provide a signal for the receiver92 which is effective to energize the motor 90 which in turn drives themember 98 through means of the sprocket 96, drive belt 104 and sprocket102. Thereafter the drive sprocket 100 is rotated which is effective tomove the chain 28 and also move the trolley 26 in one direction as willsubsequently be described.

The trolley 26 as best illustrated in FIGURE 5 is disclosed anddescribed in the aforementioned catalog and includes a body which isspring loaded by means of a pair of springs 111. The body 110 isprovided with ways 112 which receive the longitudinal edges 114 of thetrack 24. The trolley 26 further includes a chain safety release 116which is received in a groove of the body 110. The ends of the linkchain are connected to the safety release 166. The trolley 26 furtherincludes a safety release 118. The link chain 28 includes a turnbucklenot illustrated which permits the tension of the chain to be adjustedwith respect to the drive sprocket 100 and the idler sprocket 106.

FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate the doors 16 and 18 in a closed position withthe trolley 26 located near the forward end of the track 24. When it isrequired to open the doors 16 and 18, the operator sends a signal bymeans of a transmitter not illustrated which is picked up by thereceiver 92 and is effective to energize the power-operated drive means30. As a result thereof the threaded shaft 98 is rotated so as to rotatethe sprocket 100 and thereby drive the chain 28. As a result thereof thetrolley 26 is moved to the right as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3 asillustrated by arrow A. The trolley 26 as it moves to the right asviewed in FIGURES 2 and 3 pulls on the opening cables 66 and 70 andholds such cables taut. At the same time the closing cables 68 and 72become slack due to the fact that the trolley in effect is moving closerto the anchor ends 80 and 85 of cables 68 and 72 respectively. Thus, inorder to open the doors 16 and 18 the trolley 26 pulls on cables 66 and70 so as to swing doors 16 and 18 about the pivots 20 and 22.

When it is required to close the doors from the open positionillustrated in FIGURE 3 to the closed position illustrated in FIGURES land 2 the operator sends a signal from the transmitter which is receivedby the poweroperated assembly 30 effective to rotate the drive sprocket100 and link chain 28 in the opposite direction. Thereafter the trolley26 is moved to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3. At such time the trolley26 is effective to pull on the closing cables 68 and 72 and to hold suchcables taut during the closing movement of the doors. As the trolleymoves to the left the opening cables 66 and 70 are slack. As the trolley26 approaches the forward limiting position illustrated in FIGURE 2 theclosing cables 68 and 72 pull on the doors 16 and 18 respectively so asto positively and forcibly close the door. The closing cables 68 and 72tensioned by the trolley 26 are effective to not only close the doorsbut also to hold and lock the doors.

With the present invention no gear boxes, tracks, counterweights orcounterbalances are required. The opening and closing cables control thespeed at which the doors open and close. While the present invention isprimarily designed for overhead doors it should be understood that theteachings of this invention can be applied to other types of doors. Onlyone motor and one receiver are required to operate one or more doors.Each closing cable not only closes the corresponding door but also looksthe door. The speed at which each door opens and closes is dependentupon the number of pulleys or sheaves utilized.

Additional features of the present invention are that the doors willopen slowly and safely under the control of the pulley and cable system;each door has approximately twenty pounds pressure against the cableswhether the door is open or closed; said pressure results in less wearand strain on the receiver and other component parts of the system andthe pressure permits the motor to be started easier than heretofore.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description ofthe improved overhead door and operating means therefor in such full,clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by theappended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a fixed support structure having a doorway: adoor mounted in said doorway for swinging movement from a generallyvertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position; pulleymeans carried by said door; a track; a trolley movably supported by saidtrack; cable operating means connected between said fixed supportstructure and said trolley and including intermediate portionsengageable with said pulley means; and means for moving said trolley inopposite directions to pull on said cable operating means and therebymove said door.

2. A structure comprising a fixed support structure having a doorway, adoor mounted in said doorway for swinging movement from a generallyvertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position, atrack, a trolley movably supported by said track for movement inopposite directions, pulley means carried by said door, cable operatingmeans including an opening cable and a closing cable interposed betweensaid fixed support structure and said trolley for respectively openingand closing said door, said opening and closing cables each having oneend connected to said movable trolley and the other end connected tosaid fixed support structure, with intermediate portions of each of saidcables engageable with said pulley means, and power-operated means formoving said trolley in one direction to pull on said opening cable toopen said door and in the opposite direction to pull on said closingcable to close said door.

3. The combination with a fixed support structure having a doorway, adoor mounted in said doorway for swinging movement from a generallyvertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position: atrack; a trolley movably supported by said track for movement inopposite directions; pulley means carried by said door; cable operatingmeans interposed between said support structure and said trolley foropening and closing said door, said cable operating means comprising anopening cable and a closing cable; said opening and closing cables eachhaving one end connected to said movable trolley and the other endconnected to said fixed support structure, with intermediate portions ofeach of said cables engageable with said pulley means; and means formoving said trolley in one direction to pull on said opening cable toopen said door and in the opposite direction to pull on said closingcable to close said door, said opening cable being taut and said closingcable being slack during the opening movement of said door and saidclosing cable being taut and said opening cable being slack duringclosing movement of said door.

4. A structure comprising a fixed support structure having a doorway, adoor mounted in said doorway for swinging movement from a generallyvertical closed position to a generally horizontal open position, atrack, a trolley movably supported by said track for movement inopposite directions, pulley means carried by said door, cable operatingmeans interposed between said fixed support structure and said trolleyfor opening and closing said door, said opening and closing cables eachhaving one end connected to said movable trolley and the other endconnected to said fixed support structure, with intermediate portions ofeach of said cables engageable with said pulley means, said cableoperating means comprising an opening cable and a closing cable, andpower operated means for moving said trolley in one direction to pull onsaid opening cable to open said door and in the opposite direction topull on said closing cable to close said door, said opening cable beingtaut and said closing cable being slack during the opening movement ofsaid door and said closing cable being taut and said opening cable beingslack during closing movement of said door.

5. The combination with a fixed support structure having a plurality ofdoorways: a plurality of doors in said doorways for simultaneousswinging movement from a generally vertical closed position to agenerally horizontal open position; pulley means on each of said doors;a track; a trolley movably supported by said track; means for openingand closing said doors comprising opening and closing cables for eachdoor which are connected between the fixed support structure and saidtrolley and including intermediate portions engageable with the pulleymeans on the corresponding door; and means for moving said trolley inone direction to pull on said opening cables to simultaneously open saiddoors and in the opposite direction to pull on said closing cables tosimultaneously close said doors.

6. A structure comprising a fixed support structure having a pluralityof doorways, a plurality of doors in said doorways for simultaneousswinging movement from a generally vertical closed position to agenerally horizontal open position, a track, a trolley movably supportedby said track, pulley means carried by each of the doors, means foropening and closing said doors comprising opening and closing cables foreach door which are connected between the fixed support structure andsaid trolley and including intermediate portions engageable with thepulley means on the corresponding door, and power operated means formoving said trolley in one direction to pull on said opening cables tosimultaneously open said doors and in the opposite direction to pull onsaid closing cables to simultaneously close said doors.

7. The combination with a fixed support structure having a plurality ofdoorways, a plurality of doors mounted in said doorways for swingingmovement from a generally vertical closed position to a generallyhorizontal open position: a track; a trolley movably supported by saidtrack for movement in opposite directions;v pulley means carried by eachof the doors; cable operated means interposed between said supportstructure and said trolley for opening and closing said doors; saidcable operating means comprising an opening cable and a closing cablefor each of said doors; the opening and closing cables for each dooreach having one end connected to said movable trolley and the other endconnected to said fixed support structure, with intermediate portions ofeach of the cables engageable with the pulley means on the correspondingdoor; and means for moving said trolley in one direction to pull on saidopening cables to simultaneously open said doors and in the oppositedirection to pull on said closing cables to simultaneously close saiddoors, said opening cables being taut and said closing cables beingslack during the opening movement of said doors and said closing cablebeing taut and said opening cable being slack during closing movement ofsaid doors.

8. A structure comprising a fixed support structure having a pluralityof doorways, a plurality of doors mounted in said doorways for swingingmovement from a generally vertical closed position to a generallyhorizontal open position, a track, a trolley movably supported by saidtrack for movement in opposite directions, pulley means carried by eachof the doors, cable operated means interposed between said fixed supportstructure and said trolley for opening and closing said doors, saidcable op erating means comprising an opening cable and a closing cablefor each of said doors, the opening and closing cables for each dooreach having one end connected to said movable trolley and the other endConnected to said fixed support structure, with intermediate portions ofeach of the cables engageable with the pulley means on the correspondingdoor, and power operated means for moving said trolley in one directionto pull on said opening cables to simultaneously open said doors and inthe opposite direction to pull on said closing cables to simultaneouslyclose said doors, said opening cables being taut and said closing cablesbeing slack during the opening movement of said doors and said closingcable being taut and said opening cable being slack during closingmovement of said doors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,390 1/1953 McFadden 160-1883,207,500 9/1965 Kooy 49-28 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,118,416 3/1956 France.

25 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A FIXED SUPPORT STRUCTURE HAVING A DOORWAY: ADOOR MOUNTED IN SAID DOORWAY FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT FROM A GENERALLYVERTICAL CLOSED POSITON TO A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL OPEN POSITION; PULLEYMEANS CARRIED BY SAID DOOR; A TRACK; A TROLLEY MOVABLY SUPPORTED BY SAIDTRACK; CABLE OPERATING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIXED SUPPORTSTRUCTURE AND SAID TROLLEY AND INCLUDING INTERMEDIATE PORTIONSENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PULLEY MEANS; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TROLLEY INOPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO PULL ON SAID CABLE OPERATING MEANS AND THEREBYMOVE SAID DOOR.